Australian diver Alysha Koloi has plunged to glory on the opening day of the world aquatics championships in Qatar, grabbing gold in the women’s one-metre springboard.
The quartet of Cassiel Rousseau, Maddison Keeney, Nikita Haines and Li Shixin also picked up a bronze medal in the mixed team diving event behind the victorious Tom Daley-led British quartet on Friday, giving the Aussies a real boost on the first day in Doha.
China, the world’s diving powerhouse, decided not to take part in these particular diving events this year as it concentrates all its energies on the Olympics.
But the Chinese absence could take nothing away from the triumph of 22-year-old Brisbane diver Koloi, a former gymnast who has never stopped improving and took full advantage in her first world championships.
Just before the Socceroos took the field for their ill-fated Asian Cup quarter-final across the city, Koloi was able to provide much happier late drama for Australian sport.
She took the lead on the fourth of her five dives and held on in the final round to finish with a winning total of 260.50 points.
The silver went to Britain’s Grace Reid (257.25), while Egypt’s Maha Amer captured her country’s first diving medal ever at the worlds.
Daley, Olympic 10-metre synchro champion, took his first international crown since taking a year-long break from the sport, as he was joined on the winning GB team by Scarlett Mew Jensen, Daniel Goodfellow and Andrea Spendolini Sirieix.
They posted a score of 421.65, beating the Mexican foursome of Gabriela Agundez Garcia, Randal Willars Valdez, Jahir Ocampo Marroquin and Aranza Vazquez Montano (412.80) with the Australian team, led by platform world champ Cassiel Rousseau, third on 385.35.
Rousseau, the only non-Chinese winner at last summer’s world championships in Fukuoka, has decided not to defend his individual crown in Doha, while focusing on team and synchro events.
With AP